DVD Corner

Resident Evil: Damnation Blu-ray Review

“Resident Evil: Damnation” is a beautifully animated bore.

“Resident Evil” fans sure have a lot to absorb lately with the recent theatrical release of “Resident Evil: Retribution,” the release of the highly anticipated “Resident Evil 6” video game and now a new CGI animated feature titled “Resident Evil: Damnation.”

In this follow-up to “Resident Evil: Degeneration,” the story focuses on U.S. agent Leon Kennedy who is looking for rumored bio organic weapons (B.O.Ws) amidst a European civil war. As Leon eventually goes AWOL to investigate the B.O.W.s, he discovers more information about Las Plagas (which is essentially a nasty killer parasite). To say anything more would be spoiling, but RE fans can expect to see fan favorites such as the Lickers, Ada Wong, and even the colossal Tyrants.

While ‘Damnation’ is certainly a cut above ‘Degeneration’ (and ‘Retribution’ for that matter), it still doesn’t compare to the video games. Unlike the creative and spooky fast paced stories and cut scenes of the “Resident Evil” video game franchise, ‘Damnation’ is bogged down by seemingly endless exposition and bland characters. With a 100 minute running time, ‘Damnation’ also runs abnormally long for a film that mostly consists of shooting, running, hiding, and ranting.

On the plus side, the CGI/Motion Capture animation work is first rate here and is easily the highlight of the entire feature. It’s clear that a lot of heart and soul went into making this film as visually stunning as something you’d see in theaters (like “The Adventures Of Tintin”).

Summary: Fans of the RE series may enjoy seeing some characters and creatures make an appearance in ‘Damnation,’ but I don’t think this film has much appeal outside of that.

Video/Audio:

It goes without saying that CGI films look astonishing in hi-def and “Resident Evil: Damnation” is not exception. The film, which is presented in 1.78:1 1080p, contains high quality animation. It’s amazing how far Motion-Capture CGI has come over the years. While the eyes and dialogue synching are still a bit off, the facial features, environments, lighting, first person perspective shots, and creatures are incredibly detailed.

The 5.1 DTS-HD audio track is top notch. The action, gunfire, and dialogue exceeded expectations. The sound team went all out to make this film audibly exciting.

Extras:
* Sony ads and trailers and video game trailers.
* Ultraviolet Digital Copy.
* Concept art gallery.
* A 6 minute gag reel.
* “The DNA Of Damnation”- A half hour featurette that covers the story’s place in the “Resident Evil” universe, the animation/motion-capture work, the plot and characters, etc.
* “Las Plagas: Organisms Of War”- A 7 minute animated short that ties into ‘Damnation’ and offers more exposition.

October 1, 2012 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Leon Kennedy, Resident EVil 6 Video Game, Resident Evil Animated Movie, Resident Evil: Damnation Blu-ray Review, Resident Evil: Retribution